As a result of disease, surgery, age, injury or other infirmity, many patients 10 suffer such decreased mobility as to become generally confined to a bed 11, as depicted in FIG. 1, or a wheelchair 12, as depicted in FIG. 3. As particularly shown in the figures, such a patient 10 is generally immobilized in a fixed position atop and/or about one or more patient support surfaces 13. For example, the patient 10 as depicted in FIG. 1 is shown to be immobilized in a supine position 14 supported on the top surface 15 of a mattress 16 while the patient 10 as depicted in FIG. 3 is shown to be immobilized in a sitting position 17 supported on and about seat bottom 18, seatback 19 and footrest 20. In order to maximize comfort for such immobilized patients 10, the manufacturers of hospital type beds 11 and wheelchairs 12 go to great lengths for the development of advanced patient support surfaces 13, a particular goal of such manufacturers being minimization of localized interface pressures.
Unfortunately, and notwithstanding the best efforts to date of manufacturers, confined or otherwise immobile patients 10 remain dangerously susceptible to the hazards of elevated interface pressures, which pressures can within a very short period of time result in tissue breakdown leading to decubitus ulcers. In particular, as depicted in FIG. 2A, patients 10 confined to the supine position 14 are generally placed at heightened risk for the development of decubitus ulcers in the occipital region 21 about the occipital bone at the back of the patient's head; in the left and right scapular regions 22 about the patient's scapulae, or shoulder blades; in the sacral region 23 about the patient's sacrum at the lower end of the patient's vertebral column; and in the calcaneal, or calcanean, regions 24 about the patient's calcanei, or heels.
Likewise, as shown in FIG. 2B, patients confined in a left or right lateral position 25 are generally placed at heightened risk for the development of decubitus ulcers in the auricular regions 26 on or about the patient's lower auricle—the shell-like structure on the side of the head forming in part the external ear; in the acromial region 27 of the patient's lower acromion or acromial process, or “point of the shoulder;” in the cubital region 28 of the patient's cubitus, or elbow, underlying the patient; in the trochanteric region 29 of the patient's lower, greater trochanter at the upper extremity of the patient's femur; in the condylar regions 30 about the patients lateral and medial condyle of tibia to the sides of the patient's knees; in the malleolar regions 31 about the patient's lateral and medial malleoli, or ankles; and in the calcaneal, or calcanean, regions 24 about the sides of the patients calcanei, or heels.
Still further, as shown in FIG. 2C, patients confined to the prone position 39 are generally placed at heighted risk for the development of decubitus ulcers in the cubital regions 28 of the patient's cubiti, or elbows; in the auricular regions 26 about the patient's auricles; buccal regions 32 about the patient's cheeks; in the nasal regions 33 about the patient's nasus, or external nose; in the pectoral regions 34 about the patient's breasts; in the case especially of a male patient, in the genital region 35 about the male patient's genitalia; in the iliac regions 36 about the patient's iliac crests (the broad, flaring portions of the hip bones); in the patellar regions 37 about the patient's patellae, or kneecaps; and in the pedal regions 38 about the patient's toes.
While generally more ambulatory than a bedridden patient 10, patients 10 confined to wheelchairs 12, as depicted in Figure 3, are nonetheless susceptible to decubitus ulcers. Additionally, because the confinement of many such patients 10 is concomitant diagnoses involving sensory degradation, such as, for example, spinal cord injuries and complications of diabetes, such patients 10 are often at increased risk because such patients 10 can easily develop an ulcer that is not detected by the patient 10 due to lack of sensation and is also not detected by a caregiver due to the relative independence of the patient 10. In any case, as shown in FIG. 3, patients 10 confined to the sitting position 17 are generally placed at heighted risk for the development of decubitus ulcers in the region 40 of the inferior angle patient's scapula; in the spinal regions 41 particularly about the patient's thoracic spine; the coccygeal region 42 about the patient's coccyx, or tailbone; in the ischial, or sciatic, regions 43 about the patient's ischial tuberosities, which are the main a weight-bearing points for a patient in the sitting position 17; in the plantar regions 44 about the plantar surfaces, or soles, of the patient's feet; in the calcaneal, or calcanean, regions 24 about the patient's calcanei, or heels; and in the pedal regions 38 about the patient's toes. In the case of a patient 10 so confined and also requiring a headrest or like support, the patient 10 is additionally susceptible to decubitus ulcers in the occipital region 21 about the occipital bone at the back of the patient's head.
Regardless of location, however, it should be understood that in addition to being extremely painful, any decubitus ulcer once formed is at best difficult and expensive to treat. Additionally, it should be clearly understood that treatment often fails, leading to rapid decline of the patient's health and ultimately, in many cases, to the patient's death and/or drastically increased costs and services. As a result, any advance in the prevention and treatment of decubitus ulcers should be regarded as addressing a longstanding, unsolved problem.
With the foregoing background in mind, it is therefore an overriding object of the present invention to advance the care afforded to patients vulnerable to the formation of decubitus ulcers. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method by which excessive interface pressures may be readily and robustly detected and, additionally, whereby the patient and/or patient's caregiver may be alerted to the need for repositioning in prevention or treatment of interface pressure related tissue damage. Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system and method that may be readily utilized by skilled and unskilled caregivers alike. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system and method that also makes provision for review of the care afforded a patient, thereby not only ensuring that caregivers provide timely intervention in response to a detected dangerous situation but also providing a tool for use by a clinician evaluating the effectiveness of past care and need for adjustment to a treatment protocol.